


Homeward Bound

by totally4ryo



Series: Time After Time [3]
Category: Torchwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-06 15:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1108584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totally4ryo/pseuds/totally4ryo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>THIS WAS NOT WRITTEN BY ME, but by Gracie Musica, as a giftfic for my Time After Time series. It became an important part of the series, so I'm including it here as part of the collection, even if it was not written by me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homeward Bound

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/profile)[**totally4ryo**](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/)'s [Time After Time](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/tag/time+after+time) 'verse, which is all sorts of amazing awesome astounding and should be read by everyone. Also, any very very VERY bad misspellings... I'm blaming on alcohol. And lack of sleep. But mostly alcohol. Friends don't let friends fic drunk, kids.

Title: Homeward Bound  
[](http://redismycolour.livejournal.com/profile)[ **redismycolour**](http://redismycolour.livejournal.com/) Challenge: [Day Six](http://community.livejournal.com/redismycolour/2331.html)  
Date Written: 1/6/09  
Rating: PG/K+  
Word Count: 820  
Fandom: Torchwood  
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Doctor, OCs  
Spoilers: None  
Warnings: None  
Author Notes: Written for [](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/profile)[**totally4ryo**](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/)'s [Time After Time](http://totally4ryo.livejournal.com/tag/time+after+time) 'verse, which is all sorts of amazing awesome astounding and should be read by everyone. Also, any very very VERY bad misspellings... I'm blaming on alcohol. And lack of sleep. But mostly alcohol. Friends don't let friends fic drunk, kids.

 

__**As the words were spoken, they passed through the wall, and stood upon an open country road, with fields on either hand. The city had entirely vanished. Not a vestige of it was to be seen. The darkness and the mist had vanished with it, for it was a clear, cold, winter day, with snow upon the ground.**

**“Good Heaven!” said Scrooge, clasping his hands together, as he looked about him. “I was bred in this place. I was a boy here!”**

**\-- Charles Dickens,  
A Christmas Carol, Stave II - The First of Three Spirits**

 

"No!" Stefaine Aldasseran laughed as his foster sister tried yet again to pull him into the little tent. "Ky, stop being silly."

"C'mon, Stef!" Kymara Aldasseran prodded, pouting up at him. "It's fun!"

"Oh yes, mind probes are _so_ enjoyable," Stef deadpanned. "People's heads explode all the time with those things!"

"Only if you have high blood pressure," Ky replied, grinning. "We'll stop at the first sign of exploding."

Stef put his hand on his hips, but couldn't shake the sudden feeling to deja vu. Maybe they'd heard Mother and Father having a similar discussion?

Ky gave him an imploring look, bright purple eyes begging and he relented with a sigh. "Fine," he said, laughing as she tugged him into the tent.

Delaryos was renowned for its psychic inhabitants, and during festival holidays, tents and booths very similar to fortune-telling booths from home. Earth home, that was.

Stef was pushed into a seat opposite an elderly Delaryosian woman, swathed in rich, jewel-colored scarves (God, some things really did translate across the species, didn't they) who regarded him with curious, knowing eyes. Ky explained the situation, and he watched as the whole mysterious fortune-teller persona faded. The wisdom still remained, but she became more friendly, less mystic.

"You've lived here four years and you haven't had a mind probe yet?" she asked, leaning across the table and smiling at him.

"I like to be surprised," Stef replied.

The woman held her hands out and Stef hesitantly put his hands into hers. "Where are you from, love?" she asked.

"Earth," he replied, "and then Zaithfa, Da's home planet."

"Ah, an Earthling. Well, half. It's been a while since I've had one of those in." She tilted her head to the side and Stef could feel her in his head, tapping here and there against his shields. He slowly lowered them, allowing her into certain places and could feel her sifting through his memories. "Stefaine... that's not your real name."

Ky shot him a serious look and Stef shook his head. "My name is Stefaine. Stefaine Ianto Jones Aldasseran. My parents called me Ianto."

The soothsayer leaned in, eyes bright. "There. That name. Ianto Jones."

Then, out of nowhere, an image flashed behind his eyes. Night, the scent of home, of Wales, of sea and earth. A man with spiky brown hair, blue-gray eyes, blood on his collar and a truly gorgeous coat. Timeless and so very present. And familiar; a figure he'd seen in dreams ever since he could remember, no longer cloaked in half-shadows.

Heard his own voice in his ears. _"Jones. Ianto Jones."_

A little smile, a warm hand in his. _"Nice to meet you, Jones Ianto Jones."_

_**Captain Jack Harkness.** _

He hadn't realized that he'd said the name aloud until Ky put a hand on his shoulder, throwing him back into the present. "Who's Jack Harkness?"

"Harkness-Jones," Stef corrected without thinking, then he blinked, confused. How did he know that name?

The woman across from him, hands still firmly holding his, regarded him with amazement. "You need a proper probe," she told him, "not just the little parlor trick I can provide, but a government probe with doctors and everything." She smiled and adjusted their grip so both of Stef's hands were in one of hers, the other covering it comfortingly. "But I can tell you this; You are one very lucky man, Ianto Jones. You've been given a second chance. Use it wisely."

\-----

The Doctor was leaning against the TARDIS railing, watching Stef touch the console lovingly. He didn't gape in awe like most of his Companions normally did, just accepted it with a quiet dignity. "What do you think?"

"She's lovely." Stef smiled. "Thank you for letting me see her."

"You could always do more than see," the Doctor offered. "As you can see, there's plenty of room for more than one."

Stef looked back down at the TARDIS' console as he considered the Doctor's offer. He wanted to get to Earth, to Wales as soon as possible. The mind probes had told him that he would arrive when Jack was in the greatest need, that he would know the best way to get to him. If Jack was in danger he had to run, to fly across the stars to get to him. He still had money, but there was a limit to it, it would eventually run out.

And the Doctor was unusually fond of Earth...

"Sir, it would be a pleasure," Stef said, smiling at the Doctor's manic grin.

"Right!" The Time Lord sprang into action, trainers clanging against the grating as he raced around the console. "We'll just be off then! Where should we go first? Barcelona's always nice, but then again the Singing Mountains of Kadadane are never to be missed... Oh, I know!"

Stef laughed and grabbed onto the railing as the TARDIS lurched into motion.

_Home, here I come._


End file.
